The San Diego Super Bloom are a professional women’s ultimate team founded in 2020 that took 3rd place in the 2024 season of the Western Ultimate League. The team operates as a volunteer run non-profit. I attended the first home game of the 2025 season vs the Arizona Sidewinders.

ultimate players on a football field with

I had been to a few Growler’s ultimate games before which were also held at Mission Bay High School, so the atmosphere felt really familiar. There was pizza, kid’s face painting, and merch available. I really love the Super Bloom logo and colors so we picked up a sticker and disc. I’d even consider buying a jersey if I had more disposable income because they look pretty slick.

The action was fun to watch. Early in the game, the defense on both sides was tight so teams were forcing turnovers on handler passes. It might have seemed like a lack of skill but the players were making incredible catches to keep possession. As the game got into the second half, the super bloom employed a hybrid zone/man defense which was interesting to watch. San Diego maintained about a 3 or 4 point lead for the majority of the game. As the game wore on, there were more deep hucks as players were able to break long. Arizona had a comeback run around the end of the 3rd quarter, but then San Diego put it away to finish.

I was impressed with the attendance for the game which was about on par with the Growler’s games. The crowd was engaged with the game, even as the game became less competitive in the 3rd quarter. Both the Sidewinder and Super Bloom mascots played up the family friendly aspect of the game. Though I personally find the “Poppy” costume comically frightening for a flower. The Sidewinder mascot also deserves points for enthusiasm, sometimes diving across the sideline in response to a play. Like the Growlers games, there were kid activities on the field at half time and a mini-disc toss after the 3rd quarter.

kids racing a snake and flower mascot down a track
Those kids were fast!

There are some interesting differences with the UFA format for games. Generally the WUL game rules align closer to club play than the men’s pro league. The field is narrower, the fouls are self-officiated with observers rather than referees, and the end of a quarter doesn’t stop play until possession changes. I like that the format stays closer to Ultimate’s roots while investing in a better fan experience. The league streams all games on YouTube so I’ll have to check their schedule to keep up with their away games. Unfortunately their season is short, just 6 games so there are only 3 home games. I definitely want to keep up with their progress as it’s great to see more high quality teams playing my favorite sport.